Latest news with #SenateBill1067
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
OK EMS officials concerned over bill reducing ambulance reimbursement rates
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Ambulance services are at the center of a debate at the state capitol. EMS officials are concerned about a new bill and say if passed, it could threaten emergency services. Supporters argue it's about protecting families from rising insurance costs. 'It puts profits over patients, and that's not the point of health care, that's definitely not the point of EMS,' said Sonia Coleman, director of revenue cycle management, EMSA. Senate Bill 1067 would take away local control and give it to the insurance companies. Reimbursement rates for ambulance rides would be reduced from 325 percent of Medicare to 275 percent. This would reverse increases that were approved in a law last year. 'Senate Bill 1067 is a critical step toward ensuring transparency and fairness in ambulance service billing across Oklahoma. By creating a public database for local government ambulance rates and by setting a cap on the administrative out-of-network mandate for ambulance services, the bill will protect Oklahoma families and taxpayers from excessive charges while ensuring the sustainability of our emergency medical response systems.' Sen. Paul Rosino, (R) Oklahoma City Oklahoma Families for Affordable Healthcare claims the law that passed last year is driving up premiums by over three dollars per member per month. 'Oklahoma families and small businesses can't afford rising health insurance costs—and SB 1067 is a smart, balanced fix to a law passed last year that set ambulance reimbursement rates far above market norms. SB 1067 preserves protections against surprise ambulance bills while lowering inflated rates that are driving up premiums. Lawmakers should act now to keep coverage affordable across our state.' Julie McKone, Executive Director, Oklahoma Families for Affordable Healthcare However, EMS officials say reimbursement rates haven't kept up with rising costs. 'Over the last ten years, we've had an increase in the cost for our fuel, for our equipment, for everyday medical supplies that we use,' said Robin Robinson, vice president, Oklahoma Ambulance Association (OKAMA). OKAMA says at least ten providers have already closed or scaled back because of financial strain, and fears this bill could keep the trend going. Robinson is also the director of McClain-Grady County EMS and says these cuts would cost them a full-time position. 'My call volume is increasing. I need more staff; I need more full-time paramedics, and this was going to be a way for me to get that paramedic position paid for. Right now, I don't know if that's going to happen or not,' said Robinson. Rural areas would likely be the most affected. 'If they are not there, then patients will have to wait probably hours in order to have services or they will have to get in their own car and drive outside of their community in order to have services that they need,' said Coleman. Senate Bill 1067 has already passed the Senate and will be heard Tuesday in the House Rules Committee, and if it passes, it will then move to the floor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma lawmakers to consider reducing ambulance reimbursement rates
Robin Robinson, director of McClain-Grady County EMS, demonstrates removing a gurney from an ambulance outside the Oklahoma Capitol on Monday. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill set to be considered Tuesday could force rural emergency service providers to shut down by reducing a needed source of funding, a leader of the state's Ambulance Association said Monday. But a Senate lawmaker said the proposed reimbursement rate cut to Oklahoma's ambulance providers could save Oklahomans on their health insurance plan costs. Senate Bill 1067, which is scheduled to be heard in the House Rules Committee, would authorize local government entities or ambulance service providers to submit ambulance service rates to the Oklahoma Insurance Department to create a public database. It would also cut the minimum amount that out-of-network ambulance providers can be reimbursed. Robin Robinson, vice president of the Oklahoma Ambulance Association and director of McClain-Grady County EMS, said she was at the Oklahoma Capitol Monday to encourage lawmakers to vote 'no' on the bill. She said it strips local control from municipalities and county governments and would limit the amount her agency collects. She said it comes just months after a state law took effect that allowed ambulance providers to charge more. Robinson said if the new bill became law, the financial difference could equate to the salary of a full time paramedic. 'With the bill that was passed last year, I was hoping that we could add another paramedic to staff full time,' she said. 'My call volume is increasing, and that's not going to change, but the money to be able to staff isn't there. And so if this bill passes, I'm not going to be able to add that full time, permanent position.' The average salary for a paramedic in Oklahoma is $48,640, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Robinson said salaries vary around the state depending on location and demand. Instead of letting local governments set reimbursement rates based on what's needed to keep EMS providers in business, the bill creates a 'cap all the way across the board,' Robinson said. 'If I can't staff the extra ambulances during the times that I need, we have to call in mutual aid ambulances, and that's going to be anywhere from 15, 20, 25 minutes to get there,' she said. 'This could hurt Oklahomans. You know, we have ambulance services that are further out than I am, more rural. It could hurt them worse, they may have to shut down.' Rep. Preston Stinson, R-Edmond, the House author, was not available for comment Monday. But Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, the Senate author of the bill, said the new law, which took effect in January, could increase the cost of Oklahomans' health plans by $3 to $5 per month. He said it does not prevent local governments from setting ambulance service rates and only affects out-of-network providers. He said the measure drops reimbursement rates by 50%, from 325% of the Medicare or Medicaid rate to 275%, to help alleviate strains on health care plan costs 'That's a massive, massive thing on the people of Oklahoma and their health plans,' he said. 'We do know that ambulance people need a bump, so we just dropped it. The insurance people didn't want it to be up more than 150%. Ambulance people, of course, want it to stay at 325% because if it stays the same, they keep getting paid. All I'm saying is, 'Hey, let's drop it 50 percentage points, and then you still get a raise and the people of Oklahoma's health plan doesn't come up.' ' He said the public database would let insurance companies know what local reimbursement rates are set at. The bill, which has already cleared the state Senate, would be eligible to be heard on the House floor if it passes committee Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
